Voters in Montenegro are casting their ballots today, Sunday, in the second round of the presidential elections, where incumbent president Milo Djukanovic, who has pledged to pull the country out of the crisis that led to the collapse of two governments, is competing. The first unofficial results from poll organizers based on a sample of voters are expected to emerge in about two hours.
Djukanovic, 61, has dominated Montenegro for 33 years, holding the presidency or the prime minister position since the onset of the dissolution of federal Yugoslavia. His opponent is Jakov Milatovic, 37, a former Minister of Economy and Vice President of the "Europe Now" movement, who has promised to curb corruption, improve living standards, and enhance relations with both the European Union and Serbia, its former partner in the Yugoslav Republic.
Opponents have long accused the former communist and his Democratic Socialist Party of corruption and ties to organized crime, claiming that the president and his party govern the small republic, which mainly relies on tourism revenues, as if it were a private fiefdom, which they deny.
In the first round of elections on March 19, Djukanovic received 35.37% of the votes, while Milatovic secured 28.92%, necessitating a second round since neither received the majority of 50%. Analysts expect close results in the second round.
Today's voting follows a year of political turmoil that resulted in the collapse of two governments after a vote of no confidence and a dispute between lawmakers and Djukanovic over his refusal to appoint a new prime minister.
